Hinge



May12,l931. H BIRD I 1,805,324

HINGE Filed Sept. 3, 1930 tening means being normally concealed.

Patented May 12, 1931 Application filed September 3, 1930. Serial No.479,533.

stems l0 and 11 extend from opposite ends of this key 9 and are integraltherewith. On the stem 11 is rotatably mounted a movable key 12corresponding with key 9 in configuration so as to fit snugly in theslot 6. The pintle has a head 13 connected to the stem 11 and themovable key 12 is held between this head and the key 9.

When it is desired to join the members of the hinge the two leaves areplaced in such positions that the slots 6 and S will register; The keys9 and 12 are then placed in alignment and the pintle is inserted bodilyinto the ears so that stem 10 will be fitted in bore 7, key 9 will befitted in slot 8, and key 12 will be fitted in slot 6. The parts canthen be secured together by screwing a nut 14 on to stem 10. The hingeleaves can now be turned relative to each other, it being understoodthat the pintle will. be held against rotation within ear 4 by key 9,but ears 2 and 3 are free to rotate on the pintle because key 12, whichis engaged by ear 2, is rotatably mounted. As soon as the two keys moveout of align ment it becomes impossible to withdraw the pintle. As there acive positions of the keys cannot seen wh'le the parts areassembled, the pintle general y cannot be withdrawn readily except by aperson or persons fully acquainted with the construction of the parts.

Under some conditions it is desirable to mount the hinge detachably. Forthis purpose the back faces of the leaves 1 and 5 can be formed withdovetail grooves 15 in each of which is secured a spring strip 16. Anattaching plate 17 having beveled sides is adapted to be slid into thegroove 15 which is closed at one end. A longitudinal groove 18 is formedin the attaching plate and has a transverse shoulder 19. While the partsare being assembled one end of spring 16 will be received in groove 18and when the plate comes against the end wall of groove 15 the springwill snap into engagement with shoulder 19 so as to prevent accidentalseparation of the parts. Openings 20 can be extended through plate 17for the reception of screws used for attaching the plate to thestructure to which the hinge to be connected This invention relates to ahinge for use on automobile doors, tire covers and at other places whereit desirable to employ a separable hinge utilizing a removable pintle.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a hinge having apintle which is securely fastened in position except when the leaves ofthe hinge are brought to predeter mined relative positions at which timeit is possible readily to remove the pintle and thereby permitseparation of the parts.

Anotherobject is. to provide simple and eflicient means for fasteningthe leaves to structures connected by the hinge, said faslVith theforegoing and other objects in View which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement ofparts and in the details of construction hereinafter describedandclaimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodimentof the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of whatis claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the hinge.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line t-l, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pintle.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the attaching plates.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates ahinge leaf having spaced ears 2 and 3 adapted to receive between them anear 4 extending from a hinge leaf 5. The upper ear 2 is formed with aslot 6 extending therethrough while the lower ear 3 has a central bore7. The intermediate ear 4 has a slot 8 which corresponds with slot 6 andis adapted to register therewith when the two leaves 1 and 5 are broughtto predetermined positions relative to each other.

As shown in Figure 5 the pintle of the hinge includes a key 9 soproportioned as to fit within slot 8 and to slide through slot 6 whenthe slots are register, Aligning After plates 17 have been connected torelatively movable parts by means of screws 21 or the like and the hiigeleaves have been slid into engagement with and secured to plates 17, itbecomes'impossible to detach the hinge unless the leaves are foldedbacl; one upon the other and a screwdriver or the like forced into theopen ends oi? the grooves 18 for the purpose of shitting springs 16 outof engagement with ShOllldQl'S 19. lVith the snring thus held in eachleaf, 'said leaf can he slid out of engagement with its attaching plate.

As has already been stated a hinge such as herein desiwribed can be usedadvantageously on automobile doors because the attaching means, employedare fully'concealed but it is possible whenever desired either toseparate the parts of the hinge or to remove the hinge bodily eitherfrom the door or from the body of the vehicle; The hinge can also beused advantageously on tire covers such as are trcquently mounted abovewells in running boards, or on supports at the back 01 vehicles; In factthe hinge will be found advent: wherever it is desired to permit thehinges and bodily detachment of the leaves from the parts 7 on whichthey are mounted,

WVhat is claimed is 1. ,A hinge including-leaves, a pair ol ears carriedby one of the leaves, there being a slot in one of said ears and a borein the other ear, an intermediate ear extending from the other leafhaving a slot movable into and out of register with the first namedslot, a pin tle having a 'key fitted in the slot in the intermediate earand adapted to withdraw through the other slot when said slots are inalignment, oppositely extending stems on said key extending through'therespective ears of the pair, and a key rotatably mount? ed on one of thestems and removably seated inthe slot in one of the ears of the pair.

2. A hinge including'a leaf havinga pair of cars one of which isprovided with a slot and the other with a bore, another leaf having anintermediate ear provided with a slot, a pintle including an integralkey seated in the intermediate ear and oppositely extend ing stems inthe respective ears of the pair, a head at one end of the pintle, a keyrotatably mounted on one of the stems between the head and the integralkey and seated in the slot in one of the ears of the pair, and means forsecuring the pin-" e within the ears.

3. A'hinge includi a leaf having a pair of ears one ofwhich is providedwith a slot and the other with a bore, a second leaf hav-' ing anintermediate ear providedwitha slot,

the slotted ears being relatively rotatable to geous eparation ofalignment for insertion of the pintle into the aligning slots with thekeys seated in the re spective slots.

l. 'A. hinge including separable leaves each having a groove extendingthereinto from one edge, a spring secured in the groove, an attachingplate slidable longitudinally into the groove, and means carried by saidplate for engagement by the spring to hold the plate and leaf againstseparation.

5. A hinge including separable leaves each having groove extendingthereinto from one edge, a spring secured in the groove, an attachingplate slidable longitudinally into the groove, means carried by saidplate for engagement by the spring to hold the plate and leaf againstseparation, said means including a spring receiving groove extendinglongitudinally of the plateand provided with a shoulder-' tor engagingthe spring, said groove being opened at one end to expose the spring forengagement by a releasing device.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature.

' HARRY RAY BIRD. I

